Expat play says home may not be best bet

PTC to perform '10 Good Reasons Not to Go Home'

By Kim Young-jin

For any expats from the West thinking of packing up and heading home for good, the Probationary Theatre Company (PTC) believes you may want to think again.

After a well-received run last year, the expat-run PTC is reprising “10 Good Reasons Not to Go Home,” a collection of monologues that remind expats of the unsavory aspects of life back home ― but not without a dose of humor.

“Last time, people said they couldn’t stop talking about it,” Desiree Munro, creative director of PTC said. “But still, a lot of people didn’t get to see it.”

That may change as the production will be staged at the newly-opened White Box Theatre near Hyochang Park station, the only venue in Seoul exclusively for English-language theater, after being held in a bar last time.

The show comprises of 10 monologues, each a caricature of a prototypical character you’re bound to know from back home. As each unfolds, the characters reveal their true colors, providing a satirical look at social ills ranging from corporate greed to narcissism.

“It’s an unflinching look at what’s wrong with Western society, problems that aren’t really getting better,” Munro, an Australian, said.

A pharmaceutical industry representative blithely counts off the many side effects of a new drug he’s pushing, from baldness to impotency; finally he says if the product doesn’t work, the patient can simply take something stronger.

A therapist ― who owes a nod to Dr. Phil ― encourages people to practice “healthy selfishness” and “indulge your inner child,” reinforcing the too-easy notion that personal failings can always be blamed on one’s parents.

A cutthroat New York lawyer describes how he fired an employee without a hint of regret, despite the fact the worker was headed to surgery, but not before losing his medical insurance.

For those who caught the play last year, a female character has been added to provide a “feminine touch” as well as other new twists to the production Munro described as “hard-hitting.”

Munro, who also runs White Box Theatre, said the performances would be enhanced by the new venue, which boasts new sound and lighting systems ― additions that enhance expats’ ability to stage professional quality shows.

Such developments fall in line with PTC’s vision of providing intelligent, enjoyable theater that people want to see, not just feel obligated to.

Founded in 2000, the troupe won several awards in Australia before moving base to Seoul to take advantage of the “freshly-blossoming theater community.”

Munro, who pushes for intelligent fare, admitted that to stop and think about the state of affairs can be a bit depressing ― which is exactly why “10 Good Reasons” adds more than a touch of humor.

“The play sums up what a lot of people are thinking but are too shy to say. But it’s hilarious, too,” she said.

“10 Good Reasons Not to Go Home” runs this Friday through Sunday at White Box Theatre near Hyochang Park station. For more information, visit www.probationarytheatre.com.